A federal election could be called any minute. What will it be about?
It’s summer and that means going places. A couple of weeks ago, our family went on a beautiful two and a half hour drive to take in the landscape of Mont-Tremblant in Québec. We chose to take the scenic route all the way and I can tell you, the Laurentian Mountains are an incredible sight. As we drove up and down the twisty roads and passed a number of villages and towns, I thought a lot about road trips. It’s one of those quintessential North American things, part of our culture, you could say. Many folks I know, including my parents, drive for hours just to drive, to take in landscapes — and enjoy their cars. All of this made me think about the automobile, our relationship with it, and the profound transition that is happening this decade.
And that transition is electrification.
Every major automobile manufacturer, from GM to Volkswagen has announced plans to sell only electric vehicles starting in or around the year 2030. Between 2020 and 2025 alone, GM is investing $35 billion USD in electric vehicles product development, exceeding GM’s gasoline and diesel investment. By 2040, GM plans for its entire operations to be carbon neutral. Volkswagen, currently the world’s largest automaker, announced that it will go all-electric in Europe by 2035, and US and Canada to follow shortly after. Like GM, Volkswagen plans for its entire fleet and company to be carbon neutral by 2050. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Nissan and a number of other automotive companies have made similar all-electric commitments between 2030 and 2035.
To top this all, in June, the Liberal government also said it’s speeding up its goal for when it wants to see every new vehicle sold in Canada to be electric. Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra announced that by 2035, all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in the country will be zero-emission vehicles.
This transition for Canadian society will be a huge deal. Well, not huge — more like monumental. With the exception of the internet and personal computers, I can’t think of another transition of this magnitude and complexity in the last 50 years.
The automobile is perhaps one of the most visible and personal symbols of wealth, modernization, and convenience. And Canada loves cars. In May 2021 alone, vehicle registrations in Canada grew by 31 percent compared to May of 2020. And used car prices are the highest they’ve ever been, at least as far back as the data goes. And even if you like to think of yourself as special because you don’t own a car, if you order anything online, whether it’s books or food, you enable their use. Even with the lockdowns, the pandemic has increased car buying as people of all ages shift to owning a vehicle to help them stay healthy and safe. There’s more. According to a recent Angus Reid global study, cars sit idle 96 percent of the time in Canada and yet three out of four Canadians feel that life would be impossible without one.
So, how about that transition to electrification?
I also wonder about all the social implications of the transition to electrification. And I have more questions than answers. Here are some: What will auto mechanics do? Will cars be more affordable? Will fast & furious car culture ever be the same? Will people be healthier with no noise or air pollution? Will we drive more or less if we own zero emission vehicles? If pedestrians and cyclists can’t hear electric vehicles, will roads be less safe? How much lithium mining will the world have to do to meet the global demand for batteries? Who benefits from all this mining and who’s hurt?
If you’re still wondering why I’m on about the transition to electrification, it’s because we’re living in an age of transitions — changes that are accelerated in part due to the pandemic.
Electrification, however, is one of the many transitions Canadian society will experience in the next decade or so. All signs point to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for a federal election any day now, and we’d likely go to the polls some time in September.
I believe this is an election of transitions. Platforms across all parties will be built on this notion.
Over the four years following a September election, Canadian society will transition to the post-COVID world and I anticipate fundamental changes to how we work, care, get around, travel, play, learn, and purchase. From child care to affordable housing, from philanthropy to energy, from elder care to food security, if you’re the type to embrace change, you’re in for a treat — with potentially game-changing transitions. All of these transitions have social implications, so we as changemakers, and our organizations, will have a significant role to play.
In the lead up to a potential federal election in September, my question to you on the social implications of transitions is: How might your organization contribute to ensuring that the societal transitions ahead are just, sustainable and equitable?
Sit with this question as you step into cars this summer.
Vinod Rajasekaran
Publisher & CEO
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